Cyber Espionage Through Smart TVs

The screen was both receiving and transmitting. It caught every word, as long as it wasn't spoken too softly; moreover, as long as Winston remained within the view of the murky screen, he was not only audible but also visible. ... One had to live—and one lived, out of a habit that had turned into instinct—with the awareness that every word you said was being overheard and every movement you made was being watched until the light went out.

George Orwell, 1984

Why Smart TVs Are Hacked

Orwell is not just a writer; he is a great prophet. Smart devices are daily creeping into the homes of every family. In 2017, the largest leak in CIA history occurred: thousands of internal documents were stolen, which included information about the tools used for cyber espionage. The most interesting documents were later published by Wikileaks.

And the world learned that intelligence agencies are watching us through Smart TVs and even when the TV itself is turned off (but still has power). However, I am misleading you; this was known long before the Wikileaks publication. Experts regularly found vulnerabilities and raised alarms about the lack of effective protection, but no one was concerned. They remained unconcerned even after the publication; now, however, this obvious fact has documentary evidence, albeit obtained not entirely legally.

If earlier TVs could only receive signals and transform them into images, modern TVs have cameras, microphones, and internet access; they can not only receive data and broadcast but also store it.

For the purpose of cyber espionage, not only TVs are hacked; adversaries are also interested in video cameras, electronic nannies, and other household items capable of listening, seeing the user, or participating in attacks on other devices. According to the documents published by Wikileaks, a special CIA unit, the EDB (Embedded Devices Branch), is responsible for developing exploits for the Internet of Things. This is their job, and they must ensure, if necessary, eyes and ears in every home, including yours.

There is no doubt that intelligence agencies from other countries are also working on this, striving to gain eyes and ears in every apartment. But it is not only intelligence agencies that are interested in your TV; for example, hackers turn TVs into...